‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Give Verdict on Ryan Seacrest’s First Season Hosting Show

Season 42 of Wheel of Fortune has spun its final episode, and that means Ryan Seacrest‘s first season as host has ended. The host took over for Pat Sajak after the veteran host retired at the end of Season 41.

Fans of the game show discussed whether or not they liked Ryan Seacrest as the new host and a change they didn’t like as much. “My thoughts on Seacrest’s first season,” a Reddit user posted.

“I thought this season was great!!! If you watched the ending of tonight’s episode, Seacrest said that this season has given away over $11,000,000 in cash in prizes total!!! Also, I think he is a good host!!! But the new set, nah….”

Another Wheel of Fortune fan said that they “like Ryan,” but they have a pet peeve about him. ” I HATE that he never says what’s in the bonus round envelope. He just opens it up with the stupid smile like it’s the biggest prize when it’s the minimum. WHY doesn’t he announce the $$?” they wrote.

“100% this!! I love his youthfulness, his hugs/interest in the contestants, his upbeat attitude, etc. But I wish he’d stop making me think the $40k envelope is the $100k one every night…” another replied.

 

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One fan had two gripes about his hosting skills. “2 quirks that I find annoying and are sooo minor. Bonus wheel spin. ‘You landed on the S’. Why not say the S in America’s or S in spin? 2nd quirk- ‘we’re going to give you THE r, s, t, l, and THE E. I don’t understand the THE. There are more, but I’ll just leave it there,” they wrote.

Another fan complained that they like Ryan Seacrest as host, but don’t like the long introductions in the beginning. “I record the show and fast forward through the first 5 minutes to the first puzzle,” the fan said.

“I agree about the long introductions. They aren’t auditioning for anything. Just give a quick fun fact, not a five minute story you think is interesting,” another agreed.

With Ryan Seacrest, a Wheel watcher thinks the “vibes are loose and free,” compared to Sajak. They said it takes three to four seasons for a host to warm up.

“I’m a certified Ryan Seacrest hater but god d**n after a month or two I really warmed up to him and now dare I say I really like him. There is a reason he hosts 85 million things, he’s nice, personable, and funny,” a Reddit user said.

Although opinions about Seacrest were mixed, most fans agreed that they didn’t like the new set. “The proportions are off. Every part of the set feels either too cluttered or too empty, and nothing really seems to match or look centered correctly on camera. The decorations tend to not mesh that well. I agree that an update was needed, but this wasn’t the way to go,” a Wheel of Fortune fan said.

“In general I really liked the new set, however, some weeks were definitely nicer to go along with the theme than others. Some weeks, especially Out of Office week, just felt so low-effort. I’d love for them to put back the WoF logo behind the contestants like they have for the Celebrity version,” another commented.

One fan doesn’t like the video screen on the floor. “It just makes things look way too busy on some theme weeks. I love the puzzle board look, and I actually like the simplicity of the backdrops,” they said.

“[The set] is bright and flashy and not my cup of tea,” one last fan said.

Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White will both be back for Season 43. Let us know what you think about Ryan as host in the comments section below.

Wheel of Fortune, Season 43, this fall, check local listings